My Valentine
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: ."People shouldn't be alone today." Sam takes Madeline out for dinner. She thinks he'll love again. He's not so sure. Short "Mam" fic. Innocent now, maybe more? Happy Valentine's Day!
1. Prelude

"Hey, guess who?" Sam called as he walked through the front door. He smiled at her and went straight for the beer in the fridge. "Thought I'd stop in for a drink with you. What do you say?" he cheerfully inquired, holding up two bottles with an enticing grin.

She blankly stared at him, blowing an impressive cloud of smoke out the side of her mouth. His smirk pulled into a frown and he shut the fridge with his elbow. Neither one spoke as he joined her at the small table in the kitchen, and neither one spoke after their first sip of beer.

"Aw come on, Maddie. I came over here looking for a great time with my great drinking buddy. When you're gloomy, I'm gloomy, and the beer doesn't taste good when I'm gloomy. It only tastes average. Average is not okay on a day like today," Sam tried. He figured she wouldn't be in a chipper mindset, not after the way she'd been sulking all week. That's the reason he decided to drop in, just to make sure she was okay.

Madeline put out her cigarette and glared at him. "I can't help it if I'm gloomy. I'm gloomy and I intend to stay gloomy. Just because you're not gloomy doesn't mean that the rest of the world shouldn't be gloomy too! Got it, Sam?"

He scowled, hanging his head. "It's Valentine's Day. I thought you might need some company. I could use some, but if you're not feeling it…" he got up and looked at her with his big, brown puppy dog eyes. "I'll just go."

She couldn't stand the sad glower on his face. "Oh I'm sorry. Please stay. I can get short when I'm in a bad mood."

"You sure? I can still leave if you want."

"I'm sure. What good is my beer if you aren't here to drink it with me?"

He grinned and sat back down. "Alright then. Let's get to the drinking."

"Don't you have plans with Mrs. Reynolds? I thought that you were pretty serious," she said quietly, digging into a personal life as only Madeline Westen knew how to.

"Yeah, but she had to take her mother upstate today for some doctor thing."

"What about Michael? Don't you have some job to do? Files to steal, houses to blow up, people to help?"

Sam leaned back into a more comfortable position, ignoring the underhanded jab at their past adventures. Apparently, she hadn't gotten the memo that the super spy and gun-happy, Irish lady were back together. That was another reason he loved drinking with her. They could gossip. "Mikey and Fi are back together."

Her mouth dropped. "No."

"Oh yeah. Hot and heavy, baby."

"Get out of here!"

"I caught them when they were supposed to be listening in on the bad guys. Well, they weren't listening and they weren't thinking about the job, if you get my drift."

"This is great! That on again off again stuff wasn't healthy," she commented, lighting another cigarette.

He apathetically shrugged. "I don't know. It's not always the best for the mission when people are making with the extracurricular activities."

She smacked his arm. He winced and she started shouting, "You know that Fiona is meant for Michael! They're perfect for each other and don't you say otherwise!"

"Gee, okay, fine! They're perfect for each other. You didn't have to hit me."

"I'm not in the best frame of mind to be talking about romance today. It's Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year, and I'm stuck at home with no one. Michael is with Fiona, you have Mrs. Reynolds, Frank is dead, Virgil is God knows where, and Nate's in Vegas with Ruth. Where does that leave me?"

"That leaves you right here with me, Mike, and Fi. You mean the world to Mike."

"I know. Nate offered to take me to Vegas with him, but I couldn't leave. My life is here with you. But, to be honest, the three of you are always off somewhere crusading and I feel a little left out. I don't want to start shooting people or whatever it is you do, but someone could keep me in the loop. I'm not a feeble old woman. I can take care of myself and protecting me from something I don't know about won't do any good."

He sighed. "Mike knows that. He's only doing what he thinks is best. We don't want anything bad to happen to you. It's easier to not tell you anything than to tell you things that could come back to bite you in the end. You're his mom. He loves you."

"I know, Sam. You're the only one that treats me like a human being and not some helpless pup that needs babysitting."

"Because you're not. You're a tough lady, Maddie. I admire that. I wouldn't wanna tussle with you."

She chuckled lightheartedly. "You're a good man. Always there when you're needed and know exactly what to say."

"Ah you're giving me too much credit, but I'll take it anyway," he smiled and suddenly got an idea. "Look, I know it's not much, but how about I take you out for dinner someplace nice?"

"You'd do that?"

"Yeah, why not? We're friends, we've got nowhere else to be, and we'll drink the night away. It's Valentine's. People shouldn't be alone today."

She grinned at him. "Okay. I'll let you take me out."

"You'll _let_ me? What an honor."

"You and your sarcasm. You're getting as bad as Michael."

"Hey, that wasn't sarcasm. I meant it. You get ready to go and I'll be back in a bit. I'm breaking out the suit for you."

"You're very sweet. Thank you, Sam."

"Don't mention it."

She got up and wrapped him in a quick hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He watched her happily walk down the hall with a soft smile on his face. His fingers rubbed the spot where she had kissed him, turning red from the lipstick she always wore. He smirked and wandered out of the door to get dressed up for their dinner.


	2. Chapter 1

He walked back in the door, this time in a suit and clean shaven. He brought a single gardenia from Mrs. Reynolds' garden with him.

Madeline came out from the hallway in a silky red dress with matching shoes and handbag. She smiled at him and it widened when he gave her the flower, offering his arm.

"Shall we?"

She took it, inhaling the sweet scent of the gardenia's petals and the wafting smell of aftershave and beer. He opened the door for them and they got into his new car.

"Thank you for the flower, Sam. It's beautiful."

"You're very welcome, Maddie. I do have a sensitive side."

"You must have some side to be able get this car. Mrs. Reynolds bought it for you, didn't she?"

"She did."

"What do you do to your women?"

He laughed and got a wicked twinkle in his eye. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

They drove off to a cozy restaurant on the waterfront. It wasn't that big, so reservations were required. Luckily, he knew the guy that owned the place and scored a table for two by the window.

The sun was setting behind the ocean, and the candlelit lanterns that hung from the ceiling and sat on the tables seemed to make the place glow. People were slow dancing in the open space in the middle of the floor to old songs by crooners and big bands. Madeline took it all in, cracking a winsome smile at the cheap, Cupid cutouts spinning next to the papier-mâché lighting.

Sam pulled her chair out for her, working the chivalrous charm he had acquired over the years. He sat across from her and tried to keep the laughter inside at the expression of awe on her face.

"Look at that view! I can see myself in the water we're so close!" she exclaimed. "This is incredible! I can't believe you brought me here."

"What can I say? I've got connections, baby. This is the best table in the house."

"It is. You're being so good to me today. No wonder these women buy you things. You're so thoughtful, more than Frank ever was. And romantic! I must say I'm impressed. I haven't seen this side of you."

"I'm just getting warmed up."

"Does that mean I'll be seeing _all_ of you by the end of tonight?"

He chuckled. "You're something else, Maddie."

"I know. You're something else yourself."

They ordered and he saw her staring at the people dancing with a look of longing on her face. It was the same look she gave Michael or Fiona when she wanted to guilt them into something. It always worked. Tonight was no exception.

"Let's dance," he announced, taking her hand and sweeping her across the floor.

Slowly, they started to move about in easy motions. He could dance. She didn't know why that surprised her. He could make things explode, put them pack together, and save a man's life after he'd been shot way more than once. Still, it caught her off guard that he knew just how to move his feet and keep her just close enough with a tender touch.

"Where'd you learn to dance like this?" she finally asked.

"Oh, back in the day I was sort of forced into dance lessons."

"Your wife?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"You got 'the look' on your face."

"The look?"

"Like you're sad…hurt…missing someone. I get the look when I think about Frank sometimes."

He nodded and gazed out of the window, away from Madeline's prying eyes. She kept them on his features, studying him.

"You loved her," she stated. He turned and looked back at her.

"Yeah, I did."

"Have you ever loved anyone else like you did her?"

There was a pause. He thought about it and drawled carefully, "No. I haven't."

"Not even Veronica or Mrs. Reynolds?"

"I stay away from real feely-type stuff. It's not a good idea in my line of work. I care, but I can't get too close."

She smirked, a bit disappointed. "You sound like my son. Is what you do really that complicated?"

"Can be."

"You purposely don't want to fall in love again? What kind of life is that?"

He breathed cautiously. Her interrogations could produce more information than the KGB could get. "It's easier to avoid getting too involved. Keeps me safe in more ways than one. Romance is something that takes you over and makes you lose all judgment in the field. You need that or you can wind up shot or worse."

"Romance makes you lose your judgment more than all of the beer you guzzle?"

"My liver is used to the abuse."

"But your heart isn't?"

A moment passed where they stopped moving and merely gazed into the other. He cleared his throat and kept moving, deflecting with an attempt to lighten the mood. "I think I just figured out where Mike gets his talents for information collecting. You'd be some spy."

She smiled sadly. "I don't feel like giving up on love just yet."

"Who said I gave up? I just said it's easier if I don't."

"What would you do if you found someone and started to fall in love?" she thought aloud.

"I can't say."

"Would you let yourself love her or would you try not to?"

He felt flustered and uncomfortable under her gaze. One thing he loved about spies was that they didn't pry into your personal matters. Michael never pressed him too hard if he was adamant that he didn't want to talk about it. Fiona would, but she could only stand to hear a little bit before having to give her opinion. Madeline, on the other hand, would push and push and push until there wasn't anything left to push out of him.

"I don't think that will happen," he finally said, smirking confidently.

"You can control who you love or when you love them. It just happens. Or maybe I'm being a silly romantic…"

"Not silly, no. If you think you're gonna find the right guy, then you'll find him."

"But you won't find the right woman?"

"I can't even tell you what I'm going to eat for breakfast tomorrow. I don't like to think on all the big stuff before it happens. You have to be ready for anything, but you can't bank on it. Life's crazy like that."

"I say you'll love again."

"Okay then. I say I won't. Wanna make this interesting?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I don't fall in love by, let's say, next Valentine's Day, you have to buy me a six pack and take me out to dinner on you."

"Alright, but if you do, you have to take a yoga class with me and replace my blown up figurines."

"It's a deal."

A fast paced song started to play and he pulled her closer. "Now let's mambo, baby."

Silence grew between them and they only danced. First, a mambo followed by a tango. Then, a waltz. Finally, they merely swayed to the classic love songs.

The food arrived at their table and they ate, talking, laughing, and gossiping like they always did. They went outside on the deck for a brief moment so she could get a smoke in. He stood next to her. The smell of her cigarettes had become a familiar scent, one that was almost comforting. He'd worry about secondhand smoke lung cancer later.

"Would you look at that moon," she muttered softly, motioning to the full orb in the darkening sky. "It seems so much brighter here than out my kitchen window."

"You should see it from the middle of the ocean. The sky is covered in a bunch of tiny little dots. They sparkle and twinkle something fierce. You wouldn't know it, but there are stars up there. Can't see it from the city lights, though."

"Really? There are that many stars out there?"

"Sure are."

"Wow. I can't even imagine…"

"Yeah. It's incredible. Say…we should go out there sometime."

She smirked, folding her arms over her chest. "Aren't you too busy for that?"

"Na. We could find the time. It'd be a vacation. We'd get a boat and just go. I'd make Mike and Fi come too. They work too hard. Or play too hard. Whatever it is they do…"

"That sounds like fun."

"It does. Just get away from it all."

He noticed that she looked cold, so he draped his jacket over her shoulders. "Mike would kill me if you got sick 'cause of me. We can go back in if you're too cold out here."

"No, I like it. It's nice out."

"That it is."

She pulled his jacket closer around her and they stood in silence, looking up at the sky. It was comfortable silence, one they were happy to stay in for some time. After awhile, they went back inside. They finally left after Sam told the waiter to add their meal to his tab. He drove them home and then insisted on walking her to her door. She gave him the jacket back once they reached the stoop.

"That was lovely, Sam. It really was."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it too. Goodnight, Maddie."

"Goodnight."

He started to walk away, but her voice stopped him. "Sam."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being my Valentine."

A grin spread across his face and she shut the door. He looked at the house for a moment and sighed, "No. Thank you."

_**Happy Valentine's Day! This story could possibly continue into a full blown "Mam" (Madeline/Sam) romance. Should it? Ideas for if it does? I love my readers and I love input. I hope your day Valentine's treat you right today! Thanks for reading :-)**_


End file.
